Typical blockbuster with a fairly outlandish plot...but it is pretty fun and has good special effects

Rating: 6/10 (23 March 2006)

The Island is a typical blockbuster: great special effects, good entertainment value and a fairly indecipherable plot: good concept, fairly poor execution, to the point where I had trouble understanding the plot by the halfway stage: why were they chasing after these two people? It is a mark of technology today that we can see Ewan MacGregor basically talking to himself: only the 'real' version has a Scottish accent, not an American one. This is a Michael Bay production, so it has a liberal amount of product placement for all to see: Mack Trucks and MSN (?!) to name a few. There is also the clichéd romance between MacGregor and Johannson.
Let me explain why the plot has a good concept but poor execution: it relates to an interesting topic (which another derided yet underrated movie, The 6th Day, has brought up), cloning. How cloning is an illegal conspiracy executed by the rich. However, the direction style by Michael Bay is schizophrenic, to the point where we can barely follow the story.
Now to the good points: the acting was not too bad. MacGregor does a good American accent, Sean Bean makes for a decent villain; however, Johannson and the rest of the cast are merely...there. Just there. Not poor, just ordinary. Like I said, the special effects here were mad. One commentator here describes the special effects as: "being made by a computer." But you expect that, what, with today's technology and all. Indeed, I can't name more than one form of entertainment which hasn't been touched by technology in some shape or form. They're good to watch, that's all that matters.
In short, this isn't the mess that every second critic makes it out to be. I am not going to suggest that it is the new 'Die Hard' of action movies; far from it. In fact, there are many better action movies out there. But if you want a nice, entertaining night in, The Island is one to watch. I did not have any prior expectations of this film, as a result, I enjoyed it.
I'll basically summarise my review into one line: Not memorable, but enjoyable.
3/5 stars